Astia, a San Francisco nonprofit that champions women-led startups, received a $600,000 grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Missouri to continue its work helping businesses run by women to grow their operations.

The Kansas City-based Kauffman Foundation, which promotes entrepreneurship and math and science skills in youth, has supported Astia over the past two years. Astia is also trying to raise another $100,000 by the end of July.

According to Astia, women do not access capital markets as frequently as men, tending instead to rely upon internal financing. To achieve growth, women-led companies need to go to outside networks for funding, the organization says.

Since 2010, Astia has used Kauffman grant money provided access to high-growth expertise and networks to 198 companies, 168 of which used the network to increase their access to outside capital.